Bolster spring unit



Aug. 30, 1938. D. F. sPoUL BOLSTER SPRING UNIT 2 sheets-shea 1 Filed Jan. '16, 1936 POM D. F. sPRoUL 2,128,504 4 BOLSTER SPRING' UNIT Aug. 3o, 193s.

Filed Jan. 1e, i936 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1938 BoLs'rER SPRING UNHl Damian; sproul; chicago, nl., assiglmrv to Cardi Well-Westinghouse Company,'a, corporation oi"v Delaware-v Application January 16, 1936, Serial N0.r 59,426' l 11, Claims.

i visioni of al.l new and'- improved bolster supporting unit having, novel means: for resisting; rebound of the bolster supportingfsprings` after compression. -v A further objectr of the invention is the pro;- vision; of` a new and improvedl bolster supporting L() spring unithaving, novel; means for'frictionally resisting both the compression and expansion, of the unit.

- A furtherr object of the'invention is the provision of a new and improvedy spring unit that l 13.5 isY simple inv constructiomefoient in operation,

composed'of few moving parts, is easily assembled and is not likely tobecome brokeny or get out of order..

Other andfurther objects: and-advantages will appear from the followingY description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which.

Fig. 1 isxa sider elevation; of a; portion. of'arailway truck showingl the inventionv in y.position be- 5 neath. the holster of theltruckf;

Fig. isiaivertical section of the unit; Fig. 3 is a. section. onf the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective: view ofJ the thrust'. or

wedge member;

Fig. 5, is aperspective View of one of the. friotion-tshoes or intermediate members;4

' Fig. 6 is avertical section of a modifiediorm of spring. bolster supporting unit;

Fig.v7 isasection onthe line 'l-lifof Fig. 6;, Fig. 8 is aA section onthe line 8-8 of Fig. 6.;

Fig. 9 is a. perspective View, of the. wedge or thrust member; and

Fig. l0 isa perspective view of one of the-friction shoes or intermediate members;v

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character I0, designates a vehicle trucky frame having a bolster openingL I I-Ltherein,.a bolster: |21, slidably mounted inthev openingVat spring plank I3, supported by the lower marginalr wall ofthe .5 opening. and the bolster supporting elements M interposed between the bolster: andtheY spring plank. Since the. detailsof the truck frame and arrangementofi'the bolster and springsare of the conventional type, itis not thought necessary to further illustrate or describe the'same.

` The bolsterspring friction. unit I5 is .adapted to be substituted forlone ormore conventional helical springs IB constitutinggthe springassem'- bly for supportingy the bolster. Each.. of .these units. comprises a pai'ri of basemembers; I'Iy and I8, each' of which isprovidediwith a 'baseA plate I9 and an upstanding,friction-shoe 2|. .l

The basev plate I9. isl preferablysemi-circular and vis provided at the central .portion of: its diameter with a depressed portion 22 forming` a v recess 23 for engaging the conventionalpositioning boss on the bolster or the spring plank.

The depressed portion 22,y at its axis has a semi-circular opening 24' vwhich cooperateswith a similarr recess in the other or cooperating base V1,0 member` to form a; cir/cularv opening-throughwhich the assembly bolt' 25:'is adapted to engage.

The shoes 2I are substantially. semi-circular and the upper ends thereof are cut diagonally' or are so formed as to constitutea wedge mem- 15 ber having an inclined face 26 for engaginga corresponding wedge face on a wedge or thrust member as will presently appear. I

A supporting sleeve or friction member' 2'I'l in the form of an open-ended cylindersfrictionally 20 engageslthe outer surface of the shoes. 2l. This member has. a central depressed portionv 28v in the end wall-29;4 This depressed portion is: provided with an axial opening 3l through-which they bolt 25 extends for holding the parts in 25 assembled relation. l

A wedge or thrust member 32',v havingI a flange 33 extendingv outwardly'about one of its tends,r is interposed between the shoes 25|. Thismem-ber is cylindrical with its anged end formed? roughly `30 as a doublewedge. The flange 33, at' opposite sides of the thrust member, extends inwardlyl and downwardly `to form a wedge surface andthe lower surfaces 3'4'of these portions ofthe flange are adapted to engage the wedgeface 26? of the 35 shoes 2 I, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The thrust member 32 is hollow andv is yprovided with'what may betermed a bottom wall 35, which is provided withan openingf' for receiving the depression 22' of'the basemembers I'IandIB.

A helical spring 311 is interposed. between 'the end wall'29 ofthe supporting sleeve orffriction member 2T andthe end'wall 35A of the wedgeor thrust member 32.y The spring-surroundsithe deu 45 pression 2'8 and is positioned withinvv theslee've" or friction member by said'depression;

In the opration of the'device, when? tl'ietspring unit is compressed, the spring 31 will.' be de pressedagainst' thev endwall 35and`this in turn, 50 will cause 'the' wedging faces 34' of the s1eeve3'2, which engage the wedgel faces'fZB, to movefsaid friction shoes'outwardly; into frictional Contact with the innersurfaces ofthey supporting; sleeve or frictionv member 21,;jthereby frictionally resisting the compression of the gear. Upon release, the spring 31 will force the supporting sleeve or friction member 21 upwardly, but the friction between the casing 21 and the shoes 2| tends to drag the shoes upwardly into wedging engagement with the wedging faces 34 while during compression the friction between the casing or friction member 21 and the shoes 2l tends to carry the shoes along with the casing 21 in a direction to release the wedging members; consequently, there is a greater frictional resistance to the expansion than to the compression of the unit.

If desired, the parts may be so constructed that the friction elements are encircled by the helical spring. Such construction is shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive.

In this form of construction, the base members or friction shoes 38 are provided with base flanges 39 and substantially semi-circular upstanding friction shoe members 4I. Each of the shoe members is provided, adjacent its upper end, with a web 42 forming an inclined surface 43, which is adapted to be engaged by the wedge orthrust member.

The wedge or thrust member comprises a base 44, having an upstanding thrust element 45, having adjacent its upper end, a thick end portion 46, the outer surface of which has the curvature of the shoe members 4I and is provided on its lower surface with an inwardly and downwardly wedging face 41, which is adapted to engage the incline or wedge faces 43 of the shoe members 4I as is clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

The base 44 is provided at each side of the thrust member 45 with openings 48 through which the friction shoe members are adapted to extend.

A supporting sleeve or friction member 49 is provided, which has a depending cylindrical portion 5|, which surrounds the upper portions of the friction shoe members and frictionally engages the same. The friction sleeve member 49 is provided with a closed end 52 having a flange 53 extending radially about the cylindrical or sleeve portion 5I. The end wall 52 is provided with the depression 54 for engaging a positioning boss on a spring plate or bolster, and the base 39 of the friction shoes 38 is also provided with depressions 55, which, together, form a circular recess for receiving the positioning bosses or studs on the spring plate. A helical spring is inserted between the flange 53 and the base member 44 of the thrust element.

Suitable means are provided for holding the parts in assembled relation. As shown, a pin and slot connection between the friction shoe members and the supporting sleeve or friction member 49 Ais employed. In this form of construction, the shoes are provided with studs 55 that are adapted to engage grooves or slots 51 in the upper wall of the sleeve member 5l.v

Inorder to prevent tilting of the unit during its operation, the thrust or wedge member 45 is constructed of such width, that it extends substantially the entire diameter of the supporting sleeve or friction member 49 and has its outer edge portions engaging between the adjacent edges of the shoe members as shown more clearly in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. Since the operation of this form of the device is substantially the same as that of the construction described above, it is not thought necessary to repeat the description at this point.

It will be noted that in each form of the construction, the casing or outer friction member is adapted to engage a shoulder, as the annular flange 50 in the form shown in Fig. 2, or the shoulder 40 in Fig. 6 for limiting the compression of the unit.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art and that changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lI claim as my invention:

1. In a car bolster supporting spring unit, an upper base, a lower base consisting of two sections, extensible andcompressible friction mechanism between said bases, said mechanism including means including a cylindrical member having wedging surfaces at one end only thereof for causing a greater frictional resistance to the expansion of said unit than to the compression thereof.

2. In a bolster spring unit, sectional base member comprising two sections only, each having a friction surface, a supporting member in frictional contact with said base member, a spring for resisting compression of said unit, and wedging means including a tubular member having converging wedging surfaces for causing a greater friction between said members on release than on compression.

3. In a bolster supporting spring unit, a wedge member comprising a base having substantially semi-circular openings, a thrust member extending upwardly from said base between said openings and having downwardly and outwardly facing wedge surfaces on its upper end portion.

4. In a bolster supporting spring unit, a thrust member having a curved base provided with an upstanding thrust member having wedge faces on its upper end portion, said base having openings at each side of said thrust member, friction shoes extending through said openings and having wedge faces engaging the wedge faces of said thrust member, a supporting sleeve member frictionally engaging said shoes, and a spring between said sleeve and thrust members.

5. In a bolster supporting unit, a plurality of friction shoes each having a base constituting a segment of a circle, each shoe having a curved friction surface and a wedging face at one of its ends, a friction sleeve surrounding said shoes and frictionally engaging the friction surfaces thereof, a wedge member comprising a hollow cylinder having an end wall at one end and a wedging face for each shoe at the other end, and a spring reacting between said sleeve and wedge member for restoring the parts to normal position after release.

6. In a bolster supporting unit, a plurality of friction shoes, each having a base at one end and having its upper edge formed as a segment of a curve constituting a friction surface, a friction sleeve member extending around said shoes, a wedge member engaging said surfaces for forcing said shoes outwardly against said friction sleeve, and resilient means for resisting the compression of said unit and for returning the parts to normal position after compression.

7. In combination, a wedge member having a base and a post extending upwardly therefrom, said post having downwardly and outwardly facing wedge surfaces, said base having openings at opposite sides of said post, friction shoes extending upwardly through said openings and having Wedge faces engaging said surfaces, a friction sleeve surrounding said shoes, and a spring reacting between said sleeve and wedge member for restoring the parts to normal position after compression.

8. In a car bolster supporting spring unit, an upper base, a pair of friction shoes having semicircular bases, said semi-circular bases constituting one of the bases of said unit, a friction sleeve extending about and frictionally engaging said shoes, and having an annular flange, said shoes having oppositely arranged inclined wedging faces at their upper ends only, a wedge member engaging said faces, a spring seat on said Wedge member, and a spring between said seat and flange.

9. In a car bolster spring unit, a base member having an inwardly projecting sleeve portion, friction shoes within said sleeve portion, l said sleeve portion and shoes having overlapping comparatively long fri'ctionally engaging surfaces, a wedge member, said wedge member and shoes having a single set of cooperating wedging faces, the inner portions of said wedging faces being approximately at the transverse plane through the center of said overlapping surfaces, and a spring engaging the outer end portion of said wedge member and the outer end portion of said base member for resisting the compression of said unit and for restoring the parts to normal position after compression.

10. In combination, a friction sleeve member, a unitary wedge member having an end portion extending into the sleeve member having a substantially V-shaped indentation extending from the edge of the named end portion toward the opposite end portion providing a pair of inclined surfaces lying in planes which intersect at the axis of the sleevei member, each of said pair of surfaces having a Wedge face inclined toward the axis of the sleeve member and said opposite end portion of the wedge member, friction shoes engaging the sleeve member and having wedging faces engaging the wedge faces of the Wedge member, and a spring reacting between the sleeve member and the wedge member for returning the parts to normal position after release.

11. In a car bolster spring unit, a base member having an inwardly projecting friction sleeve por tion, a unitary wedge member having an end portion extending into the sleeve portion having a substantially V-shaped indentation extending from the edge of the named end portion toward the opposite end portion providing a pair of inclined surfaces lying in planes which intersect at the axis of the sleeve portion, each of said pair of surfaces having a wedge face inclined toward the axis of the sleeve portion and said opposite end portion of the Wedge member, friction shoes engaging the sleeve portion and having wedging faces engaging the edge faces of the wedge member, and a spring engaging said opposite end'portion of the wedge member and said base member for resisting compression of the unit and for causing frictional resistance between said shoes and sleeve portion when the unit is released after compression.

DONALD F. SPROUL. 

